2010 News

December 1, 2010

“A Great Place to Have This Wreath”
Commissioners Join Law Enforcement Officers to Illuminate Project Blue Light Tribute Overlooking Courthouse Memorial Courtyard

On Tuesday, November 30, Bucks County Commissioners Charles H. Martin, chairman, and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW joined county Sheriff Edward “Duke” Donnelly, Bucks County police chiefs and members of the Bucks County Sheriff’s department to pay tribute to the county’s fallen public-safety heroes. For the second consecutive year, the Courthouse rotunda is the setting for the Project Blue Light Memorial Wreath. The wreath is illuminated with blue lights and adorned with 12 white ornaments to symbolize the 12 Bucks County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty since 1914.

“We are about to institute a tradition here. This is a great place to have this wreath, overlooking our Memorial Courtyard. Fortunately, we have not lost any officers over the last year,” Chairman Martin said during his welcoming remarks.

Chairman Martin noted the addition of Constable Henry H. Kolbe, who was killed in 1914 in Doylestown by “Bronco” Billy Miller. Constable Kolbe’s name was added to the previous list of 11 heroes for this year’s holiday remembrance.

As Commissioner Ellis-Marseglia flipped the switch to illuminate the wreath in the late-afternoon gloaming, she was surrounded by Lower Southampton Police Chief William Wiegman (head of the Bucks County Police Chiefs Association) Northampton Police Chief Barry Pilla, Upper Makefield Police Chief Mark Schmidt and Bucks County Public Safety Training Center Director Harry McCann.

“Christmas is a time when we all want to be with our families,” Chief Wiegman commented. “Some of us can’t do that. We appreciate the county doing this [event of remembrance].”

PROJECT BLUE LIGHT MEMORIAL WREATH HONOREES

1914 – Constable Henry H. Kolbe	1986 – Deputy Sheriff Thomas A. Bateman
1927 – County Sheriff Abram L. Kulp	1986- Deputy Sheriff George M. Werta, Jr.
1965 – Dublin Borough’s Eli Myers	1993 – County Park Ranger Stanley Flynn
1972 – Bristol Township’s George Stuckey	2002 – Plumstead Twp.’s Joseph Hanusey
1975 – Bensalem’s James Armstrong	2005 – Newtown Borough’s Brian Gregg
1980 – Bensalem’s James Yezzi	2009- Middletown Twp.’s Christopher Jones